My activity with historic reenactment has been a feature of most of my life. I have been active in the Society for Creative Anachronism, a historic group with an interest in the time period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the earliest age of gunpowder. My persona is a widow circa 1400 living in some part of France. I haven't done a lot of work in making up a story to go with the persona, since it's not something you have much oppurtunity to discuss. The SCA is divided into regional groups, and the group I have been active with resides in central NJ. The Barony of Settmour Swamp holds several events each year for members only and participates in demos open to the public. These pictures were taken at such a demo in Belvidere, NJ. To the left is yours truly in a gown which, sadly, no longer fits. This was soon after I cut my hair for Locks of Love and is probably the shortest it was in my adult life. My kids called it my Hagrid style.
Here's Joe spoofing for the camera with his second favorite axe and a clothyard arrow he made himself from point to fletching. He likes to say he is a Viking who got off the boat to pee in Ireland and they left without him. The helmet is modeled after a Viking one found in a burial only he knows which and the mail shirt is a modern stainless version that only weighs a few pounds and is currently misplaced after the move. It will turn up someday, probably when it no longer fits.
Here's my sister Ruth also mugging for the camera in Joe's helmet with his least favorite axe. In fact, I think this axe exists no longer, since he needed the shaft for something else and the head was not what he thought it was going to be. She seems to be enjoying herself. Channeling a past life perhaps?
This one was taken at Belvidere and he is smithing with his small anvil and an anachronistic early 20th century forge. It's the Society for Creative Anachronism, right?
Joe usually brings a portable forge to these events but I think at this one he wasn't into lugging it around. It's probably not the forge anymore but the anvil. The darn thing weighs over 300 lbs. and lifting it is a one man job because of its shape. He has pretty much resigned himself to leaving it in his shop and only bringing a tiny one to events. He did have some arrowheads he had made previously so he could fit the heads to the shafts and fletch them. The results of all this hard work are pictured above. He has fired these arrows from his bow, but the opportunity to do so is limited since they need a long range.
This one was taken at Belvidere and he is smithing with his small anvil and an anachronistic early 20th century forge. It's the Society for Creative Anachronism, right?
Joe usually brings a portable forge to these events but I think at this one he wasn't into lugging it around. It's probably not the forge anymore but the anvil. The darn thing weighs over 300 lbs. and lifting it is a one man job because of its shape. He has pretty much resigned himself to leaving it in his shop and only bringing a tiny one to events. He did have some arrowheads he had made previously so he could fit the heads to the shafts and fletch them. The results of all this hard work are pictured above. He has fired these arrows from his bow, but the opportunity to do so is limited since they need a long range.
